Heterosexual couples can become legally married without a license or ceremony. This type of marriage is a "common law marriage". It was to be believed that, a common law marriage was created when two people simply live together for a certain number of years. In order to have a valid common law marriage, the couple must do all of the following:

1. Live together for a significant period (not defined in any state)
2. Hold themselves out as a married couple (typically this means using the same last name, referring to the other as "my husband" or "my wife," and filing a joint tax return)
3. Intend to be married.
When a common law marriage exists, the spouses receive the same legal treatment given to a formally married couples, up and to include the requirement that they go through a legal divorce to end the marriage.

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